OACP Issues Report Debunking Fraser Institute Police Costs Study

The OACP has issued a critical assessmentreportby two experts on the costs of policing which questions the findings of the Fraser Institute of Canada’s Police and Crime Rates in Canada: A Comparison of Resources and Outcomesreleased in September. The critical assessment by Thomas F. Phillips, Ph.D., and L. Faith Ratchford, Ph.D., concludes that the Fraser Institute report, “provides little insight into the realities of contemporary policing in Canada. The data used – CMA data rather than data for the actual police service areas – puts the analysis on weak foundations. Using Criminal Code incidents as the only measure of police activity belies the realities of today’s police service obligations, responsibilities, and activities. The explanatory power of the model is poor.” The authors also warn that, “The deficiencies of this study should be taken into account when assessing the veracity of the conclusions.”